Air transport vehicle

Abstract

To provide an air-powered conveying vehicle that can suppress the decrease in the efficiency of conveying powders and granules. [Solution] The system comprises a tank 30 capable of containing powdered material, a belt conveyor 31 for transporting the powdered material contained in the tank 30 to the outside of the tank 30, and an air conveying device for air-transporting the powdered material transported to the outside of the tank 30 by the belt conveyor 31. The belt conveyor 31 has an endless annular transport belt section 310 that rotates in the circumferential direction, and the transport belt section 310 is configured to extend upward along the transport direction of the powdered material and to form a transport surface that receives the powdered material contained in the tank 30.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air conveyance vehicle that transports, for example, granular or powdered materials.

Background Art

[0002] As such an air conveyance vehicle, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a granular material transport vehicle that transports granular materials as granular materials. This granular material transport vehicle includes a tank capable of accommodating granular materials inside, a screw conveyor connected to the lower part of the tank for discharging the granular materials inside the tank, a rotary valve for forcibly discharging the granular materials discharged by the screw conveyor into a discharge pipe via a mixer, and an air conveyance device capable of assisting the flow of the granular materials in the discharge pipe discharged from the rotary valve through the mixer with air pressure. A granular material transport vehicle is disclosed.

[0003] In such a granular material transport vehicle, when the granular materials accommodated in the tank are carried out of the tank by the screw conveyor, the granular materials are transported to a granular material supply destination such as a silo through the rotary valve, the mixer, and the discharge pipe.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, the above-mentioned conventional granular material transport vehicle is configured such that the discharge of the granular materials accommodated in the tank is performed by the screw conveyor. However, if the granular materials get caught between the screw conveyor and the surrounding objects of the screw conveyor, the movement of the screw conveyor will be hindered, and there may arise a problem that the transport efficiency of the granular materials decreases.

[0006] Therefore, in view of these circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an air-powered transport vehicle that can suppress a decrease in the transport efficiency of powders and granules. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The air transport vehicle of the present invention is A tank capable of containing powders and granules inside, A belt conveyor for transporting the powdered material contained inside the tank to the outside of the tank, The system includes an air conveying device for air-transporting the powdered material that has been transported to the outside of the tank by the belt conveyor, The aforementioned belt conveyor is An endlessly ring-shaped conveying belt section, It has a transport drive unit that rotates the transport belt section, The conveying belt portion is configured to extend upward along the conveying direction of the powder and granules, and to form a conveying surface that receives the powder and granules contained in the tank.

[0008] In the air-conveying vehicle with the above configuration, a belt conveyor is used as a device for transporting the powdered material contained in the tank to the outside of the tank. Compared to the case where a screw conveyor is used, the powdered material is less likely to get jammed between the belt conveyor, which is the device for transporting the powdered material, and the objects surrounding the belt conveyor. As a result, the decrease in the efficiency of transporting the powdered material is suppressed in the air-conveying vehicle.

[0009] The air transport vehicle of the present invention is The tank has a tank guide section that guides the contained powder or granules to the belt conveyor, The tank guide section may be provided with an opening that opens vertically on the belt conveyor.

[0010] This method facilitates the supply of powdered or granular material from the tank guide to the belt conveyor, improving the smoothness of the transport of the powdered or granular material.

[0011] In the air transport vehicle of the present invention, The aforementioned pneumatic conveying device, The system includes a rotary valve that receives the powder material transported from the inside of the tank to the outside of the tank by the belt conveyor and sends the powder material to the air conveying device. The rotary valve has a rotating rotor, The conveying belt section may be configured such that, when the width of the tank in the lateral direction perpendicular to the conveying direction is W1, the width of the conveying belt section in the lateral direction is W2, and the width of the rotor in the lateral direction is W3, the relationship between them is W1 > W2 > W3.

[0012] In the air conveying vehicle with the above configuration, the powdered material is transferred from the tank to the conveying belt section, and then from the conveying belt section to the rotor. Furthermore, the air conveying vehicle is configured such that the width W1 of the tank, the width W2 of the conveying belt section, and the width W3 of the rotor narrow in sequence according to the order in which the powdered material is transferred. This allows the amount of powdered material being transported to the rotor to be gradually reduced during the process of transporting the powdered material from the tank to the rotor. As a result, the air conveying vehicle makes it easier to adjust the amount of powdered material supplied from the rotor to the air conveying device to an amount suitable for air conveying.

[0013] In the air transport vehicle of the present invention, The belt conveyor has a belt shaft portion which serves as the rotating shaft of the transport drive unit, The rotary valve has a rotor shaft portion which serves as the rotation axis of the rotor, The axis of the belt shaft extends along the width direction, The axis of the rotor shaft may extend along the conveying direction.

[0014] This method makes it easier to average the amount of powder supplied from the conveyor belt to the rotor, and therefore the amount of powder discharged from the rotary valve is also averaged.

[0015] The air transport vehicle of the present invention is The front end portion of the conveying belt portion, which is located forward in the conveying direction, and the rotor may be arranged side by side in the vertical direction.

[0016] In this way, the powder and granular material carried by the conveying belt portion can be easily supplied to the rotor, and the smoothness of the conveyance of the powder and granular material is enhanced.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] As described above, the air conveying vehicle of the present invention can achieve an excellent effect of suppressing a decrease in the conveying efficiency of powder and granular materials.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of an air conveying vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the air conveying vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the air conveying vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of the cab and chassis frame of the air conveying vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cab and chassis frame of the air conveying vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a longitudinal cross-section side of the air conveying vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a first mounting portion of the air conveying vehicle according to the embodiment, and is an explanatory view of a state of viewing a first mounted object from the rear side. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of an opening region of the air conveying vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of a tank rectifying portion of the air conveying vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a conveying device of the air conveying vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of a second mounting portion of the air conveying vehicle according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the delivery device of the air transport vehicle according to the same embodiment. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the air transport vehicle according to the same embodiment, as seen from the rear. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is an enlarged view of Figure 13. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is an explanatory diagram of the pneumatic conveying device of the pneumatic conveying vehicle according to the same embodiment. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is an explanatory diagram of the air supply device of the air conveying system of the air conveying vehicle according to the same embodiment. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is an explanatory diagram of the discharge section of the air conveying device of the air conveying vehicle according to the same embodiment. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the usage state of the air transport vehicle according to the same embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] The following description of an air transport vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention will be made with reference to the attached drawings.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the air transport vehicle 1 according to this embodiment comprises a vehicle 2 and a body 3 loaded onto the vehicle 2.

[0021] In the following description, the direction corresponding to the front and rear of the air transport vehicle 1 will be referred to as the front-rear direction, the direction corresponding to the width of the air transport vehicle 1 will be referred to as the width direction, and the direction corresponding to the up and down of the air transport vehicle 1 (the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the width direction) will be referred to as the up and down direction. Furthermore, the direction moving forward within the front-rear direction (the direction of travel of the air transport vehicle 1) will be referred to as the forward direction, and the direction moving backward within the front-rear direction will be referred to as the rear direction.

[0022] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, vehicle 2 has a driver's cab 20 and a chassis frame 21 positioned rearward from the driver's cab 20.

[0023] As shown in Figure 5, the chassis frame 21 has a plurality of main frames 210 extending rearward from the driver's cab 20, and a plurality of cross members 211 extending along the width direction and fixed to each of the plurality of main frames 210.

[0024] Multiple mainframes 210 are arranged in the lateral direction and are spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction. Furthermore, the multiple mainframes 210 are parallel to each other. The chassis frame 21 of this embodiment has two mainframes 210.

[0025] Multiple cross members 211 are arranged in the front-to-back direction and are spaced apart from each other in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, multiple cross members 211 are parallel to each other. The chassis frame 21 of this embodiment has three cross members 211.

[0026] The bodywork 3 of this embodiment includes a first bodywork B1 arranged side-by-side with respect to the driver's cab 20 in the rear direction, and a second bodywork B2 arranged side-by-side with respect to the first bodywork B1 in the rear direction (see Figures 1 to 3).

[0027] As shown in Figure 6, the first structure B1 includes a tank 30 capable of containing powdered material, a transport device 31 for transporting the powdered material contained in the tank 30 to the outside of the tank 30 (specifically to a chute 35, which will be described later), and a limiting section 32 on the transport device 31 that restricts the flow of the powdered material toward the outside in the lateral direction.

[0028] The granular material contained inside the tank 30 is composed of multiple (many) granular materials such as wood pellets, wood chips, or powder obtained by crushing wood, and it has fluidity.

[0029] As shown in Figure 7, the tank 30 includes a tank holding section 300 for temporarily holding powdered material, a tank guide section 301 for guiding the powdered material introduced into the tank holding section 300 to the transport device 31, a tank flow straightening section 302 (see Figure 9) for regulating the flow of powdered material introduced into the tank holding section 300 (preventing clogging of the powdered material introduced into the tank holding section 300), and a tank erection section 303 erected on the chassis frame 21. The tank 30 also has a discharge port 304 from which the powdered material is removed.

[0030] The tank holding portion 300 constitutes the upper end side of the tank 30. The tank holding portion 300 also has an upper wall portion 3000, a pair of side wall portions 3001 that face each other in the lateral direction, a front surface 3002 (see Figure 9), a rear surface 3003, and a front lower surface 3004 that is continuous with the lower end of the front surface 3002.

[0031] The upper wall portion 3000 of the tank holding portion 300 has a vertically penetrating opening 3005 for loading. The upper wall portion 3000 of the tank holding portion 3000 is also fitted with an opening / closing door 3006 that can open and close the opening 3005. A handle 3007 is provided on the opening / closing door 3006, which can be manually opened and closed using this handle 3007.

[0032] The front lower surface 3004 is inclined such that its lower end is positioned further back than its upper end.

[0033] The tank guide section 301 has a pair of opposing side sections 3010 that are spaced apart in the lateral direction.

[0034] Each of the pair of opposing side portions 3010 is plate-shaped. Furthermore, each of the pair of opposing side portions 3010 is inclined such that the inner end, which is positioned inward in the lateral direction, is located lower than the outer end, which is positioned outward in the lateral direction. Therefore, the inner surfaces of each of the pair of opposing side portions 3010 (the inner surfaces facing the tank holding portion 300) are also inclined such that the inner end, which is positioned inward in the lateral direction, is located lower than the outer end, which is positioned outward in the lateral direction. In addition, each of the pair of opposing side portions 3010 is fixed so that its outer end is in contact with the side wall portion 3001 without any gaps.

[0035] The distance between the pair of opposing side portions 3010 gradually narrows as it extends downwards. Therefore, the tank 30 is formed such that the width at the lower end is smaller than the width at the upper end of the tank 30, and the width at the lower end of the tank guide portion 301 (i.e., the distance between the lower ends of the pair of opposing side portions 3010) is smaller than the maximum width of the tank holding portion 300. Note that width refers to the dimension in the lateral direction.

[0036] Between the inner ends of each of the pair of opposing side portions 3010, a region that is open in the vertical direction (hereinafter referred to as the opening region) is formed, and this opening region extends straight along the front-rear direction. Thus, at the lower end of the tank 30, an opening (opening region O) is formed that penetrates the tank 30 vertically, both inside and outside the tank 30, on the transport device 31. Note that the leader line of the symbol "O" shown in Figures 6, 10, and 18 appears to point to the transport belt portion 310, but the opening region O is the region between the pair of first stop portions 320, which will be described later, as shown in Figure 8.

[0037] The position of the end of the opening region O in the forward direction is determined by the position of the lower end of the front lower surface 3004, the position of the end of the opening region O in the rear direction is determined by the position of the back surface 3003, and the positions of both ends of the opening region O in the width direction are determined by the positions of the lower ends of the pair of first stoppers 320.

[0038] As shown in Figure 9, the tank flow straightening section 302 has a longitudinal flow straightening section 3020 extending along the front-rear direction and a transverse flow straightening section 3021 extending along the width direction.

[0039] The longitudinal flow straightening section 3020 is positioned above the opening region formed between the pair of opposing side sections 3010. One end of the longitudinal flow straightening section 3020 is fixed to the front surface 3002, and the other end of the longitudinal flow straightening section 3020 is fixed to the back surface 3003. The longitudinal flow straightening section 3020 is formed in a curved shape. More specifically, the longitudinal flow straightening section 3020 is inclined to gradually slope downward from the central part in the lateral direction towards the outer end in the lateral direction.

[0040] Furthermore, the lower end of the vertical flow straightening section 3020 is positioned away from the pair of opposing side sections 3010 in the upward direction. As a result, a region through which granular material can pass is formed between the vertical flow straightening section 3020 and the pair of opposing side sections 3010.

[0041] The lateral flow straightening section 3021 is positioned at an upward distance from the longitudinal flow straightening section 3020. One end of the lateral flow straightening section 3021 in the longitudinal direction is fixed to one opposing side section 3010, and the other end of the lateral flow straightening section 3021 in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the other opposing side section 3010. The lateral flow straightening section 3021 is formed in a curved shape. More specifically, the lateral flow straightening section 3021 is inclined so as to gradually slope downward from the central part in the front-rear direction towards the outer end in the front-rear direction.

[0042] As shown in Figure 7, the tank mounting section 303 has a pair of vertical wall sections 3030 that extend downward from the lower surfaces of two different opposing side sections 3010. One vertical wall section 3030 supports one opposing side section 3010, and the other vertical wall section 3030 supports the other opposing side section 3010.

[0043] The pair of upright wall sections 3030 are positioned far apart from each other in the lateral direction. Therefore, a space is formed between the pair of upright wall sections 3030.

[0044] The discharge port 304 is located at the lower center end of the rear surface 3003 of the tank holding section 300. The discharge port 304 also communicates with the space located above the transport device 31.

[0045] The limiting section 32 includes a first stopping section 320 that restricts the outward flow of the powder in the lateral direction inside the tank 30, and a second stopping section 321 that restricts the outward flow of the powder in the lateral direction in an area adjacent to the tank 30 in the rearward direction (specifically, inside the cover described later).

[0046] The limiting portion 32 of this embodiment has a pair of first retaining portions 320. The pair of first retaining portions 320 are elongated rectangular plate materials and are flexible. The pair of first retaining portions 320 are formed of, for example, a resin such as rubber.

[0047] The pair of first stoppers 320 are arranged with their longitudinal direction aligned with the front-to-back direction and are positioned side by side in the width direction. Furthermore, the pair of first stoppers 320 are inclined such that the longer side positioned on the inside in the width direction is located lower than the longer side positioned on the outside in the width direction.

[0048] Furthermore, the pair of first stoppers 320 are positioned inward from the outer end in the width direction of the transport belt section 310, which will be described later. The outer long side of the first stopper 320 is attached to the opposing side section 3010 (specifically, the inner end of the opposing side section 3010), and the inner long side of the first stopper 320 is positioned inward in the width direction from the inner end of the opposing side section 3010.

[0049] A gap is formed between the inner long side of each of the pair of first stoppers 320 and the upward-facing surface of the conveying belt section 310 (the conveying surface 3100, which will be described later). It is preferable that the spacing of this gap is smaller than the granules that make up the powder material.

[0050] The pair of first stoppers 320 only need to be configured to be positioned along the entire length or substantially the entire length of the tank 30 in the front-rear direction.

[0051] The limiting portion 32 of this embodiment has a pair of second retaining portions 321. The pair of second retaining portions 321 are elongated rectangular plate materials and are flexible. The pair of second retaining portions 321 are formed of, for example, a resin such as rubber.

[0052] The pair of second stoppers 321 are arranged with their longitudinal direction aligned with the front-to-back direction and are positioned side by side in the width direction. Furthermore, the pair of second stoppers 321 are inclined such that the longer side positioned on the inside in the width direction is located below the longer side positioned on the outside in the width direction.

[0053] Furthermore, the pair of second fasteners 321 are positioned inward from the outer end in the width direction of the transport belt section 310, which will be described later. The outer long side of the second fastener 321 is attached to the side wall of the cover, which will be described later, and the inner long side of the second fastener 321 is positioned inward in the width direction from this side wall 342.

[0054] A gap is formed between the inner long side of each of the pair of second stoppers 321 and the upward-facing surface of the conveyor belt 310 (the conveying surface 3100, which will be described later). It is preferable that the spacing of this gap is smaller than the granules that make up the powder material.

[0055] The second stopper 321 is positioned adjacent to the first stopper 320 on the rearward side. Furthermore, the rear end of the second stopper 321 (the end positioned on the rearward side) is positioned behind the transport belt section 310 in the front-rear direction (see Figure 11).

[0056] The lower end positions of one first stopper 320 and the other first stopper 320 coincide (are aligned) in the width direction, and the lower end positions of one second stopper 321 and the other second stopper 321 also coincide (are aligned) in the width direction. Furthermore, the lower end positions of one first stopper 320 and the one second stopper 321 that are aligned in the front-to-back direction coincide (are aligned) in the front-to-back direction, and the lower end positions of the other first stopper 320 and the other second stopper 321 that are aligned in the front-to-back direction coincide (are aligned) in the front-to-back direction.

[0057] The transport device 31 in this embodiment is a belt conveyor. As shown in Figure 10, the transport device 31 includes a transport belt section 310, a transport drive section 311 that rotates the transport belt section 310, and a transport base section 312 (see Figure 7) that is erected on the cross member 211 and to which the transport belt section 310 and the transport drive section 311 are attached.

[0058] The conveying belt section 310 is endlessly ring-shaped and strip-shaped. Furthermore, the conveying belt section 310 extends upward along the conveying direction of the powder and granular material, and is configured to form a conveying surface 3100 that receives the powder and granular material contained in the tank 30. The forward direction in the conveying direction, which is the direction in which the conveying belt section 310 carries the powder and granular material, coincides with the backward direction in the front-rear direction.

[0059] The conveyor belt section 310 is formed, for example, from a fabric impregnated with rubber or resin, and is supported by a pair of belt shaft sections 3110, described later, by a predetermined tension. The conveyor belt section 310 is also flexible. Therefore, when the conveying surface 3100 flexes in the vertical direction, the vertical position of the conveying surface 3100 changes.

[0060] The transport belt section 310 is positioned between a pair of transport base sections 312. The width (dimension in the width direction) of the transport belt section 310 is greater than the distance between the inner ends of the pair of first stoppers 320 in the width direction (i.e., the width of the opening area O in the width direction) and the distance between the inner ends of the pair of second stoppers 321 in the width direction.

[0061] The rear end of the conveyor belt section 310 extends from the rear surface 3003 of the tank 30 toward the outside of the tank 30. The rear end of the conveyor belt section 310 is also located inside the second mounting structure B2 (specifically, the cover described later). The rear end of the conveyor belt section 310 is the front end located in the direction of conveying powder and granular material.

[0062] The transport drive unit 311 includes a pair of belt shafts 3110 arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction, a drive source 3111 for rotating the pair of belt shafts 3110, and an adjustment mechanism 3112 for adjusting the spacing between the pair of belt shafts 3110 in the front-rear direction.

[0063] The pair of belt shafts 3110 are configured as rollers that rotate around a rotation axis extending along the width direction. One of the pair of belt shafts 3110 is located inside the tank 30 (below the front lower surface 3004), and the other of the pair of belt shafts 3110 is located inside the cover, which will be described later. The front-to-rear length of the wound transport belt 310, from the front end to the rear end, is greater than the length from the lower end of the front lower surface 3004 to the rear surface 3003 (i.e., the width of the opening region O in the front-to-rear direction). In this embodiment, the rotation center of one belt shaft 3110 is located in front of the lower end of the front lower surface 3004, and the rotation center of the other belt shaft 3110 is located behind the rear surface 3003, so the flat portion of the wound transport belt 310 is located in the opening region O.

[0064] In the conveying device 31 of this embodiment, the drive source 3111 is configured to drive the other belt shaft portion 3110. The one belt shaft portion 3110 is configured to follow the rotation of the other belt shaft portion 3110 and the conveying belt portion 310.

[0065] When the drive source 3111 rotates the other belt shaft portion 3110, the conveying belt portion 310 rotates so that the conveying surface 3100 moves toward the rear. Therefore, the direction in which the powder or granular material is conveyed (conveying direction) is the same as the rear direction.

[0066] The transport drive unit 311 of this embodiment is configured to allow adjustment of the distance between a pair of belt shafts in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the transport drive unit 311 is configured so that the belt shaft 3110 that is driven by the transport belt 310 can be moved in the front-rear direction. In this case, the transport drive unit 311 only needs to have an adjustment mechanism 3112 that allows adjustment of the position of the belt shaft 3110 (the belt shaft 3110 that is driven by the transport belt 310) located on the front side in the front-rear direction.

[0067] If the position of the belt shaft portion 3110 in the front-to-back direction can be adjusted, then the tension of the transport belt portion 310 can also be adjusted.

[0068] In the description of the air transport vehicle 1 in this embodiment, the forward direction relative to the transport direction is the same direction as the rear direction relative to the orientation of the air transport vehicle 1, and the rear direction relative to the transport direction is the same direction as the forward direction relative to the orientation of the air transport vehicle 1.

[0069] As shown in Figure 7, the transport base section 312 has a pair of base wall sections 3120 that extend along the front-rear direction and are erected on the subframe. The pair of base wall sections 3120 face each other while being spaced apart in the lateral direction. The rear ends of the pair of base wall sections 3120 extend beyond the tank 30 through the opening of the tank 30 and are located inside the cover, which will be described later. The rotation axes of the pair of belt shaft sections 3110 are attached to the pair of base wall sections 3120.

[0070] As shown in Figure 11, the second mounting structure B2 includes a housing section 33 arranged in a line on the rear side of the tank 30, a cover 34, a chute 35 located inside the housing section 33 into which the powder material transported from the tank 30 by the transport device 31 is fed, a discharge device 36 that sends out the powder material that has passed through the chute 35, and an air transport device 37 that transports the powder material sent out from the discharge device 36 to a location separate from the air transport vehicle 1.

[0071] The housing section 33 is positioned away from the tank 30 in the rearward direction.

[0072] The cover 34 functions as a conveyor enclosure that covers the rear end of the conveying device 31 (belt conveyor). The cover 34 in this embodiment has an upper wall 340 which is the upper wall portion, a rear wall 341 which is the rear wall portion, and a side wall 342 which is the lateral wall portion. The cover 34 also has a vent portion 343 provided on any of the upper wall 340, rear wall 341, or side wall 342.

[0073] The upper wall 340 extends along the front-to-back direction and also extends in the width direction. The rear wall 341 extends in the width direction and also extends in the vertical direction. The side wall 342 extends along the front-to-back direction and also extends in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the upper wall 340, the rear wall 341, and the side wall 342 are all flat plates.

[0074] In the cover 34, the vent section 343 communicates with the outside of the cover 34 so that air present inside the cover 34 can be discharged to the outside of the cover 34. The vent section 343 has an opening 344 provided in either the upper wall 340, rear wall 341, or side wall 342 of the cover 34, and a filter 345 such as a bag filter installed inside the opening 344.

[0075] In this embodiment, the opening 344 is rectangular, but it may be a polygon, elliptical, circular, or other shape. The filter 345 is made of fibers, such as paper, resin, or cloth. The filter 345 also has a frame, which is attached to the cover 34 using fastening members. The filter 345 can be any sheet or plate with pores finer than those of the conveyed material or the dust generated by its damage, and may be made of metal such as steel plate, in addition to fibers.

[0076] In the air transport vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the vent section 343 allows air to be discharged to the outside of the cover 34, thereby reducing the air pressure inside the cover 34. As a result, the pressure resistance of the components of the cover 34r does not need to be at a high level, and a less rigid structure can be used, thus suppressing an increase in manufacturing costs for the air transport vehicle 1.

[0077] The vent section 343 is positioned so as not to come into contact with the powder or granular material moving inside the cover 34. In this embodiment, the vent section 343 is provided on the rear wall 341 of the cover 34. Furthermore, at least a portion of the vent section 343, specifically the entire vent section 343, is positioned so as not to intersect with the parabola L traced by the powder or granular material falling from the upper surface of the conveyor belt section 310. The parabola L is a parabola originating from the rear end edge 310P of the upper edge of the conveyor belt section 310 (the rear end edge of the horizontal portion of the conveyor belt section 310). This origin is located directly above the axis of rotation of the other belt shaft section 3110, which is located inside the housing section 33. Moreover, at least a portion of the vent section 343 is positioned above the uppermost position of the conveyor belt section 310 of the conveyor device 31.

[0078] Furthermore, at least a portion of the vent section 343 is located above the discharge port 304 from which the powder is removed in the tank holding section 300 that contains the powder in the tank 30. In this embodiment, a notch 3008 is formed on the back surface 3003 of the tank 30 above the transport device 31. This notch 3008 constitutes a part of the discharge port 304. At least a portion of the vent section 343 may be located above the upper edge of the notch 3008.

[0079] A space is formed in the chute 35 that penetrates vertically. The upper wall 340 of the cover 34 is positioned above the space formed in the chute 35. In this embodiment, the upper end of the chute 35 is connected to the lower end of the cover 34 by bolts (not shown).

[0080] The dispensing device 36 is a so-called rotary valve. Therefore, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, the dispensing device 36 includes an input section 360 into which the powder is fed through the chute 35, a case 361 into which the powder flows from the input section 360, a rotor 362 positioned inside the case 361, a discharge section 363 that discharges the powder sent out from the case 361 by the rotor 362 to the outside of the dispensing device 36, and a rotary drive unit 364 that rotates the rotor 362.

[0081] The input section 360 is more tapered at the bottom than at the top. The case 361 is joined to the lower end of the chute 35 via a sealing member (not shown).

[0082] As shown in Figure 12, the rotor 362 has a shaft fixing portion 3620 to which a rotating shaft (rotor shaft portion 3640, which will be described later) extending in the front-rear direction is fixed, and a plurality of blade portions 3621 extending outward from the shaft fixing portion 3620 along the radial direction of the rotating shaft.

[0083] Here, the position of the rear end of the transport belt section 310 in the longitudinal direction is set to be further rear than the front end of the rotor 362 in the longitudinal direction, and further forward than the center of the rotor 362 in the longitudinal direction (the center between the front and rear ends in the longitudinal direction).

[0084] The rotary drive unit 364 includes a rotor shaft portion 3640 which is the rotation center of the rotor 362, and a drive source 3641 which rotates the rotor shaft portion 3640.

[0085] The rotor shaft portion 3640 extends along the front-rear direction and is fixed to the shaft fixing portion 3620 of the rotor 362 (see Figure 11). Therefore, the axial direction of the rotor shaft portion 3640 and the axial direction of the belt shaft portion 3110 are perpendicular to each other. Consequently, the direction in which the conveying device 31 conveys the powder and the direction in which the dispensing device 36 sends the powder received from the conveying device 31 are also perpendicular to each other.

[0086] The drive source 3641 is positioned away from the case 361 in the rearward direction. Therefore, the rotary drive unit 364 and the case 361 are aligned in the front-to-back direction.

[0087] Here, if we let W1 be the width of the tank 30 in the lateral direction (the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying belt section 310) (see Figure 13), W2 be the width of the conveying belt section 310 in the lateral direction (specifically, the width of the area of ​​the conveying belt section 310 used for conveying powders and granules, corresponding to the distance between the inner ends of the pair of first stoppers 320) (see Figure 13), and W3 be the width of the rotor 362 in the lateral direction (see Figure 14), then the relationship between the width W1 of the tank 30, the width W2 of the conveying belt section 310, and the width W3 of the rotor 362 satisfies W1 > W2 > W3. Note that the width W4 of the lower end of the input section 360 is smaller than the width W3 of the rotor 362.

[0088] As shown in Figure 14, the air conveying device 37 includes a multiphase unit 370 configured to receive granular material discharged from a discharge unit 363 and air for transfer, an air supply unit 371 that generates air for conveying the granular material into the multiphase unit 370, an air supply unit 372 connected to the air supply unit 371 and the multiphase unit 370 through which the air generated by the air supply unit 371 passes, a discharge unit 373 connected to the multiphase unit 370 through which the granular material and air inside the multiphase unit 370 flow, and an exhaust unit 374 for exhausting air associated with air conveying.

[0089] The multiphase mixer 370 mixes the powder supplied from the conveying device 31 with the airflow supplied from the air supply device 371 for conveying purposes. The multiphase mixer 370 in this embodiment has a powder supply unit 3700 to which the powder discharged from the discharge unit 363 is supplied, and a flow unit 3701 to which air is supplied from the air supply device 371 and the powder and air flow in a mixed state.

[0090] The powder / granular material supply unit 3700 is attached to the discharge unit 363. The air supply unit 372 and the delivery unit 373 are tubular in shape and connected to the flow unit 3701. Therefore, the inside of the air supply unit 372, the inside of the flow unit 3701, and the inside of the delivery unit 373 are in communication with each other.

[0091] The air supply device 371 consists of, for example, a blower, a compressor, and a Roots blower.

[0092] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tank 30 has a smaller width at the lower end compared to the width at the upper end, creating space on the outside of the lower end (outside in the width direction). Therefore, the air supply device 371 is arranged side by side on the outside of the lower end of the tank 30 (see Figures 15 and 16).

[0093] A retractable cover C is positioned outside the space. When closed, this cover C is aligned with the side wall 3001 in the vertical direction (i.e., flush with the side wall 3001). Additionally, slits Fs that allow air to circulate are formed in the floor wall F that forms the space, and slits Ws that allow air to circulate are also formed in the front wall W that forms the space.

[0094] When the air supply device 371 draws in ambient air while the cover C is closed, air from outside the space is drawn into the space through the slits Fs in the floor wall F and the slits Ws in the front wall W. Therefore, the air supply device 371 can draw in ambient air even while the cover C remains closed.

[0095] The outlet of the discharge unit 373 and the inlet of the exhaust unit 374 are open on the side of the housing unit 33 (see Figure 17).

[0096] The discharge unit 373 is connected to the introduction piping S1 of the silo S by a hose h1.

[0097] The exhaust section 374 is connected to the exhaust piping S2 of the silo S by a hose h2 and includes an exhaust blower 3740 and a bag filter 3741 connected to the exhaust blower 3740. In this exhaust section 374, dust contained in the air exhausted from the exhaust blower 3740 is collected by the bag filter 3741 (see Figure 18).

[0098] The configuration of the air transport vehicle 1 according to this embodiment is as described above. Next, the operation of the air transport vehicle 1 will be explained. The air transport vehicle 1 is used, for example, when transporting powder or granular material and supplying it to the silo S, which is the supply destination (see Figure 18).

[0099] In the air transport vehicle 1, in order to deliver the powdered material contained in the tank 30 to the destination, the transport device 31 is driven to transport the powdered material contained in the tank 30 from the inside of the tank 30 to the outside of the tank 30.

[0100] In the air conveying vehicle 1 of this embodiment, when the conveying device 31 is driven, the conveying belt section 310 rotates, and the powder and granular material on the lower end of the tank 30 flows backward (rearward with respect to the air conveying vehicle 1).

[0101] Since the rear end of the conveyor belt section 310 is located above the chute 35, the powdered material is transported to the rear end of the conveyor belt section 310 before falling from the conveyor belt section 310 into the chute 35. The powdered material that has passed through the chute 35 is then fed into the input section 360 of the dispensing device 36.

[0102] In the dispensing device 36, the powdered material fed into the input section 360 is sent to the discharge section 363 by the rotor 362. The powdered material that passes through the discharge section 363 and enters the mixer 370 mixes with the air supplied into the mixer 370 from the air supply device 371 via the air supply section 372, and is then sent to the dispensing section 373 and supplied to the destination such as a silo.

[0103] As described above, in the air transport vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, a belt conveyor is used as the transport device 31 for transporting the powder and granular material contained in the tank 30 to the outside of the tank 30. Therefore, compared to the case where the powder and granular material is transported by a screw conveyor, it is less likely for the powder and granular material to get caught between the belt conveyor, which is the transport device 31 for transporting the powder and granular material, and the objects surrounding the belt conveyor. As a result, the decrease in the transport efficiency of the powder and granular material is suppressed in the air transport vehicle 1.

[0104] Therefore, the air-conveying vehicle 1 can achieve the excellent effect of suppressing a decrease in the conveying efficiency of powders and granules.

[0105] Furthermore, if the granular material constituting the powder is wood pellets or wood chips, these granular materials can get caught between the belt conveyor and surrounding objects. It can also help prevent the material from being crushed (turned into powder).

[0106] Furthermore, in the air transport vehicle 1 of this embodiment, an opening region O is formed on the transport device 31 (specifically, the transport belt section 310) that opens vertically relative to the tank guide section 301. This facilitates the supply of powder and granular material from the tank guide section 301 to the transport device 31, thereby improving the smoothness of the transport of the powder and granular material.

[0107] Furthermore, in the air conveying vehicle 1, the powder and granular material is transferred from the tank 30 to the conveying belt section 310, and then from the conveying belt section 310 to the rotor 362. Moreover, the air conveying vehicle 1 is configured such that the width W1 of the tank 30, the width W2 of the conveying belt section 310, and the width W3 of the rotor 362 narrow in sequence according to the order in which the powder and granular material is transferred. As a result, the amount of powder and granular material being transported can be gradually reduced during the process of transporting the powder and granular material from the tank 30 to the rotor 362. Therefore, the air conveying vehicle 1 makes it easier to adjust the amount of powder and granular material supplied from the rotor 362 to the air conveying device to an amount suitable for air conveying.

[0108] Furthermore, in the air conveying vehicle 1, the direction in which the axis of the belt shaft 3110 extends and the direction in which the rotor shaft 3640 extends are perpendicular to each other, so the amount of powder supplied from the conveying belt 310 to the rotor 362 is more easily averaged, and therefore the amount of powder discharged from the rotary valve (dispensing device 36) is also averaged.

[0109] In particular, as in the air conveying vehicle 1 of this embodiment, when the spacing between the blades 3621 is smaller than the spacing between the lower ends of the input section 360, multiple spaces (chambers) formed between the blades 3621 are exposed to the input section 360 side, so that the powder and granular material that falls from the conveying belt section 310 enters the multiple chambers. Therefore, in the air conveying vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the amount of powder and granular material supplied from the conveying belt section 310 to the rotor 362 is more easily averaged.

[0110] Furthermore, in the air conveying vehicle 1, the front end of the conveying belt section 310, which is located forward in the conveying direction, and the rotor 362 may be aligned in the vertical direction. In this way, the powder and granular material conveyed by the conveying belt section 310 is more easily supplied to the rotor 362, and the smoothness of conveying the powder and granular material is improved.

[0111] It should be noted that the air transport vehicle according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0112] The shape of the tank 30 in the above embodiment is just an example, and it may have a different shape.

[0113] In the above embodiment, the drive source 3111 was configured to rotate the other belt shaft portion 3110 of the pair of belt shaft portions 3110 (the belt shaft portion 3110 located on the rear side with respect to the air transport vehicle 1). However, for example, it may be configured to rotate one of the pair of belt shaft portions 3110 (the belt shaft portion 3110 located on the front side with respect to the air transport vehicle 1).

[0114] In the above embodiment, the transport drive unit 311 was configured to allow adjustment of the distance between the pair of belt shafts in the front-rear direction, but for example, the distance between the pair of belt shafts in the front-rear direction may be fixed.

[0115] In the above embodiment, the transport drive unit 311 uses the belt shaft portion 3110, which is positioned forward of the pair of belt shaft portions, as the belt shaft portion 3110 that is driven by the transport belt portion 310, and the position of the belt shaft portion 3110 in the front-rear direction can be adjusted. However, for example, the belt shaft portion 3110, which is positioned rearward of the pair of belt shaft portions, may be used as the belt shaft portion 3110 that is driven by the transport belt portion 310, and the position of the belt shaft portion 3110 in the front-rear direction can also be adjusted.

[0116] In the air transport vehicle 1 of the above embodiment, the position of the rear end of the transport belt section 310 in the longitudinal direction was set to be rearward of the front end of the rotor 362 in the longitudinal direction, and forward of the center of the rotor 362 in the longitudinal direction (the center between the front end and the rear end in the longitudinal direction). However, for example, it may be set to be rearward of the center of the rotor 362 in the longitudinal direction (the center between the front end and the rear end in the longitudinal direction), and forward of the rear end of the rotor 362 in the longitudinal direction.

[0117] In the air transport vehicle 1 of the above embodiment, the axial direction of the rotor shaft portion 3640 and the axial direction of the belt shaft portion 3110 were orthogonal to each other, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the axial direction of the rotor shaft portion 3640 and the axial direction of the belt shaft portion 3110 may be parallel.

[0118] In this case, it is preferable that the width of the transport belt section 310 is wider than the width of the blade section 3621 of the rotor 362 (the width in the same direction as the axial direction of the rotor shaft section 3640).

[0119] Furthermore, the position of the rear end of the transport belt section 310 in the front-rear direction should be set to a position that overlaps with the rotor 362 in the vertical direction (within the range of the diameter of the rotor 362 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotor shaft section 3640), but it is preferable that it be set to be further rear than the front end of the rotor 362 in the direction perpendicular to the rotor 362, and further forward than the center of the rotor 362 in the direction perpendicular to the rotor 362.

[0120] In this embodiment, the pneumatic conveying device 37 was configured to have an air supply device 371, but it does not have to have an air supply device 371. In this case, the pneumatic conveying device 37 only needs to be configured to be able to connect, for example, an air supply unit 372 to an air supply equipment installed separately from the pneumatic conveying vehicle 1.

[0121] In the above embodiment, the front lower surface 3004 was inclined from the upper end to the lower end, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the front lower surface 3004 may be formed to include a portion that extends along the vertical direction and an inclined portion, or it may be formed to extend along the vertical direction from the upper end to the lower end (i.e., the entire surface may be formed to extend along the vertical direction). In any case, the position of the end of the opening region O in the forward direction is determined by the position of the lower end of the front lower surface 3004.

[0122] Furthermore, although the opposing side portion 3010 in the above embodiment was inclined from the upper end to the lower end, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the opposing side portion 3010 may be formed to include a portion that extends along the vertical direction and an inclined portion, or it may be formed to extend along the vertical direction from the upper end to the lower end (i.e., the entire portion may be formed to extend along the vertical direction). Also, the orientation of the first stop portion 320 may be inclined to match the orientation of the opposing side portion 3010, or it may be in an orientation that follows the vertical direction. In any case, the positions of both ends of the opening region O in the width direction are determined by the positions of the lower ends of the pair of first stop portions 320.

[0123] In the above embodiment, the lower end positions of one first stopper 320 and one second stopper 321 aligned in the front-to-back direction coincided in the front-to-back direction, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the lower end positions of one first stopper 320 and one second stopper 321 aligned in the front-to-back direction may be offset in the width direction.

[0124] Similarly, the lower end positions of the other first stopper 320 and the other second stopper 321, which are aligned in the front-to-back direction, coincided in the front-to-back direction, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the lower end positions of the other first stopper 230 and the other second stopper 321, which are aligned in the front-to-back direction, may be offset in the width direction. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0125] 1...Air transport vehicle, 2...Vehicle, 3...Mounting, 20...Driver's cab, 21...Chassis frame, 30...Tank, 31...Transportation device (belt conveyor), 32...Restriction section, 33...Housing section, 34...Cover, 35...Cute, 36...Discharge device, 37...Air transport device, 210...Main frame, 211...Cross member, 300...Tank holding section, 301...Tank guide section, 302...Tank flow straightening section 303...Tank erection section, 304...Discharge port, 310...Transport belt section, 310P...Rear edge, 311...Transport drive section, 312...Transport base section, 320...First stop section, 321...Second stop section, 340...Top wall, 341...Rear wall, 342...Side wall, 343...Vent section, 344...Opening, 345...Filter, 360...Input section, 361...Case, 362...Rotor, 363...Discharge section, 364...Rotation Drive unit, 370... Mixer unit, 371... Air supply device, 372... Air supply unit, 373... Discharge unit, 374... Exhaust unit, 3000... Top wall unit, 3001... Side wall unit, 3002... Front, 3003... Rear, 3004... Front bottom, 3005... Opening, 3006... Opening / closing door, 3007... Handle, 3008... Notch, 3010... Opposing side unit, 3020... Vertical rectifier unit, 3021... Horizontal rectifier unit, 3030... Vertical wall unit, 3 100...Conveying surface, 3110...Belt shaft section, 3111...Drive source, 3112...Adjustment mechanism, 3120...Base wall section, 3620...Shaft fixing section, 3621...Blade section, 3640...Rotor shaft section, 3641...Drive source, 3700...Powder / granular material supply section, 3701...Flow section, B1...First frame, B2...Second frame, L...Parabola, O...Opening area, S...Silo, W1...Width, W2...Width, W3...Width, W4...Width

Claims

1. A tank capable of containing powders and granules inside, A belt conveyor for transporting the powdered material contained inside the tank to the outside of the tank, The system includes an air conveying device for air-transporting the powdered material that has been transported to the outside of the tank by the belt conveyor, The aforementioned belt conveyor is An endlessly ring-shaped conveying belt section, It has a transport drive unit that rotates the transport belt section, The conveying belt portion is configured to extend upward along the conveying direction of the powder and granules, and to form a conveying surface that receives the powder and granules contained in the tank. Air transport vehicle.

2. The tank has a tank guide section that guides the contained powder or granules to the belt conveyor, The tank guide section has an opening region that opens vertically on the belt conveyor. The air transport vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned pneumatic conveying device, The system includes a rotary valve that receives the powder material transported from the inside of the tank to the outside of the tank by the belt conveyor and sends the powder material to the air conveying device. The rotary valve has a rotating rotor, When the width of the tank in the lateral direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying belt section is W1, the width of the conveying belt section in the lateral direction is W2, and the width of the rotor in the lateral direction is W3, the relationship between them is configured such that W1 > W2 > W3. The air transport vehicle according to claim 1.

4. The belt conveyor has a belt shaft portion which serves as the rotating shaft of the transport drive unit, The rotary valve has a rotor shaft portion which serves as the rotation axis of the rotor, The axis of the belt shaft extends along the width direction, The axis of the rotor shaft extends along the conveying direction. The air transport vehicle according to claim 3.

5. The front end of the conveyor belt section, located forward in the conveying direction, and the rotor are aligned in the vertical direction. The air transport vehicle according to claim 3 or claim 4.

Images